Hotchka Movies by the Decade feature #21 :: December 16•22

Warner Bros. Pictures

The week leading up to Christmas didn’t see many new releases between 1920 and 1940, but with 1950 the number of new films hitting theaters — hoping for box office and awards gold — seemed to get bigger each year. There were hits and misses, films for adults, children and families, drama, romance, adventure, comedy, Westerns, science fiction … almost all the genres except horror are represented this week. So without any further teasing, let’s take a look at all the films that premiered this week over the last one hundred years. Are any of your favorites listed? Tell us in the comments section below.

1920

December 19 – An Amateur Devil

Cast: Bryant Washburn, Charles Wingate, Ann May, Sidney Bracey, Graham Pettie, Anna Dodge, Christine Mayo, Norris Johnson
Director: Maurice Campbell
Studio: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Based upon the short story ‘Wanted: A Blemish’ by Henry J. Buxton and Jessie Henderson. The film’s survival status is unknown.

December 19 – Blind Wives

Cast: Marc McDermott, Estelle Taylor, Harry Southern, Annette Bracy, Sally Crute, Robert Schable
Director: Charles Brabin
Studio: Fox Film Corporation
Trivia: Based on a 1914 Broadway stage play by Edward Knoblock, My Lady’s Dress. The film reunited the director with the stars of his last hit While New York Sleeps, McDermott and Taylor. Surviving prints are archived at the George Eastman House and the Library of Congress.

December 19 – To Please One Woman

Cast: Claire Windsor, Edith Kessler, George Hackathorne, Edmund Burns, Mona Lisa, Howard Gaye, Lee Shumway, Gordon Griffith
Director: Lois Weber
Studio: Famous Players-Lasky, Paramount Pictures
Trivia: The film’s status is currently unknown but a print may exist at the Library of Congress.

December 19 – Two Moons

Cast: Buck Jones, Carol Holloway, Bert Sprotte, Edward Peil Sr., Edwin B. Tilton, Gus Saville, Slim Padgett, William Ellingford, Louis Fitzroy, Eunice Murdock Moore, Eleanor Gawne, Jim O’Neill, Billy Fay, May Foster, Dick La Reno
Director: Edward LeSaint
Studio: Fox Film Corporation
Trivia: Based on the 1920 novel Trails to Two Moons by Robert Welles Ritchie. The film is considered lost.

December 20 – The Misleading Lady

Cast: Bert Lytell, Lucy Cotton, Frank Currier, Stephen Grattan, Rae Allen, Cyril Chadwick, Barnet Parker, Arthur Hausman
Director: George Irving, George W. Terwilliger
Studio: Metro Pictures
Trivia: The film’s status is unknown.

December 22 – Neighbors

Cast: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox, Joe Roberts, Joe Keaton, Edward F. Cline, Jack Duffy, The Flying Escalantes
Director: Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton
Studio: Metro Pictures

1930

December 18 – The Devil to Pay!

Cast: Ronald Colman, Frederick Kerr, Loretta Young, David Torrence, Florence Britton, Myrna Loy, Paul Cavanagh, Crauford Kent
Director: George Fitzmaurice
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Productions, distributed by United Artists
Trivia: Constance Cummings was cast as the female lead but replaced because her American accent was too strong for the British setting. Original director Irving Cummings was also replaced after two weeks due to Samuel Goldwyn’s dissatisfaction with the standard of production.

December 22 – The Royal Family of Broadway

Cast: Ina Claire, Fredric March, Mary Brian, Henrietta Crosman, Charles Starrett, Arnold Korff, Frank Conroy, Royal C. Stout, Elsie Esmond, Murray Alper, Herschel Mayall, Lucile Watson
Director: George Cukor, Cyril Gardner
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Adapted from the play The Royal Family by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman. The Cavendish family in the film is loosely based on the Barrymores. March was Oscar nominated for Best Actor. A 35mm nitrate print of the film is preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. It has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray.

1940

December 20 – Give Us Wings

Cast: The Dead End Kids, The Little Tough Guys, Wallace Ford, Anne Gwynne, Victor Jory, Shemp Howard, Milburn Stone
Director: Charles Lamont
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trivia: The film was part of a campaign encouraged by the US government for Hollywood to produce films that would encourage youths to join the Armed Forces. Based on Eliot Gibbon’s story, ‘Men of Dust’.

1950

December 18 – My Blue Heaven

Cast: Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, David Wayne, Jane Wyatt, Mitzi Gaynor, Una Merkel, Louise Beavers, Laura Pierpont, Elinor Donahue, Phyllis Coates, Mae Marsh, Minerva Urecal, Suzanne Ridgeway, Barbara Pepper
Director: Henry Koster
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Trivia: The third film with Grable and Dailey after Mother Wore Tights and When My Baby Smiles at Me. They also starred together in a fourth film, Call Me Mister, in 1951. This marked the film debut of Mitzi Gaynor. Wyatt and Donahue later starred together on Father Knows Best.

December 21 – Harvey

Cast: James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Victoria Horne, Jesse White, Cecil Kellaway, William H. Lynn, Dick Wessel, Nana Bryant, Grayce Mills, Clem Bevans, Harry Hines, Norman Leavitt, Wallace Ford, Sam Wolfe, Maudie Prickett
Director: Henry Koster
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trivia: Based on Mary Chase’s 1944 play of the same name. The film received Oscar nominations for Stewart and Hull, with Hull winning for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Golden Globe. Stewart said in an interview that Hull had the most difficult role in the film because she had to believe and not believe in the invisible rabbit at the same time.

December 22 – Bandit Queen

Cast: Barbara Britton, Willard Parker, Phillip Reed, Barton MacLane, Martin Garralaga, Victor Kilian, Thurston Hall, Angelo Rossitto, Anna Demetrio, Paul Marion, Mikel Conrad, Margia Dean, Minna Phillips, John Merton
Director: William Berke
Studio: Lippert Pictures
Trivia: The film premiered on December 9, 1950.

December 22 – D.O.A.

Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Lynn Baggett, William Ching, Henry Hart, Bevery Garland, Neville Brand, Laurette Luez, Virginia Lee, Jess Kirkpatrick, Cay Forrester, Frank Jaquet, Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Gerstle, Carol Hughes, Frank Cady
Director: Rudolph Maté
Studio: Harry Popkin Productions, Cardinal Pictures, distributed by United Artists
Trivia: The film debut of Beverly Garland, billed as Beverly Campbell. The film fell into the public domain after a filing error caused the film’s copyright to not be renewed on time. The film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2004. The exteriors of the Bradbury Building and the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles were used liberally. Both buildings also appeared in Blade Runner. The story was dramatized as a one-hour radio play in 1951 with O’Brien reprising his role. The film was remade in Australia in 1969 as Color Me Dead, and again in the US in 1988 as D.O.A. A stage musical based on the film was produced in 2011. The video game Deus Ex: Mankind Divided contains an Easter egg in which players exploring a movie theater in the game can activate a projector and watch D.O.A. in its entirety.

December 22 – The West Point Story

Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Alan Hale Jr., Roland Winters, Raymond Roe, Wilton Graff, Jerome Cowan
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Also known as Fine and Dandy. The film scored an Oscar nomination for Best Music, and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Written American Musical.

1960

December 16 – Flaming Star

Cast: Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Dolores del Río, John McIntire, L. Q. Jones, Douglas Dick, Richard Jaeckel, Rodolfo Acosta, Karl Swenson, Ford Rainey
Director: Don Siegel
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Trivia: Based on the 1958 book Flaming Lance by Clair Huffaker. The film’s working title was Black Star. While being written, titles included The Brothers of Flaming Arrow and Flaming Lance. Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando were originally considered for the roles of the brothers before Fox settled on Presley, who was asking for roles with less singing so he could be taken seriously as an actor. Test shots were made with Presley wearing dark contact lenses but they were too distracting and discarded. Fox insisted on adding four songs because they didn’t want an Elvis movie without Elvis singing. Presley demanded two songs be removed, leaving just the theme song and a short number in a birthday party scene. Fox wanted a theme song as well, leading to the title change to Black Star because it was a better song title than Flaming Lance. Preslet recorded Black Star, which had to be rerecorded when the title was changed again to Flaming Star. The same words and music were used. Barbara Steele was originally cast as the love interest but was replaced with Barbara Eden because the studio thought her British accent was too pronounced. Steele insists she quit.

December 16 – The Three Worlds of Gulliver

Cast: Kerwin Mathews, Jo Morrow, June Thorburn, Lee Patterson, Grégoire Aslan, Basil Sydney, Charles Lloyd-Pack, Martin Benson, Mary Ellis, Marian Spencer, Peter Bull, Alec Mango, Sherri Alberoni, Oliver Johnston, Waveney Lee
Director: Jack Sher
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Trivia: Loosely based upon the 1726 Irish novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Ray Harryhausen provided the stop-motion animation and special effects. The project originated as a fantasy film for NBC which fell apart because of a Writers Guild strike. It was then set up at Universal as a feature film. The project eventually ended up at Columbia. Kerwin Matthews said Columbia wanted Jack Lemmon for the lead but he turned it down.

December 20 – Pepe

Cast: Cantinflas, Dan Dailey, Shirley Jones, Carlos Montalbán, Vicki Trickett, Matt Mattox, Hank Henry, Suzanne Lloyd, Carlos Rivas, Michael Callan, William Demarest
Director: George Sidney
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Trivia: Because of a writers strike, Cantinflas and Jimmy Durante had to ad lib dialogue. In an attempt to replicate the success of Around the World in 80 Days, the film featured cameo appearances by Joey Bishop, Billie Burke, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Coburn, Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Bobby Darin, Ann B. Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Jimmy Durante, Zsa Zsa Gabór, Judy Garland (voice only), Greer Garson, Hedda Hopper, Ernie Kovacs, Peter Lawford, Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin, Jay North, Kim Novak, André Previn, Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Edward G. Robinson, Cesar Romero and Frank Sinatra.

December 20 – The Pure Hell of St Trinian’s

Cast: Cecil Parker, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, Eric Barker, Thorley Walters, Irene Handl, Dennis Price, Sid James, Julie Alexander, Lloyd Lamble, Raymond Huntley, Nicholas Phipps, Lisa Lee, John Le Mesurier, George Benson, Elwyn Brook-Jones, Basil Dignam, Cyril Chamberlain, Michael Ripper, Mark Dignam, Monte Landis, Warren Mitchell, Clive Morton, Wensley Pithey, Bill Shine, Harold Berens, Liz Fraser, Maria Lennard, Dawn Beret
Director: Frank Launder
Studio: British Lion Films (UK)
Trivia: This was the third in a series of four films. The film was released in the UK on December 20.

December 20 – The Wackiest Ship in the Army

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Ricky Nelson, John Lund, Chips Rafferty, Tom Tully, Joby Baker, Mike Kellin, Warren Berlinger, Patricia Driscoll, Richard Anderso, Alvy Moore, George Shibata
Director: Richard Murphy
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Trivia: Filmed at Pearl Harbor and Kauai. The story is a fictionalized account of a real ship, the USS Echo, a sailing vessel that originated in New Zealand and became part of the US Navy during World War II. It was returned to the New Zealand government in 1944. The film never spelled out the meaning of the title. The ship was under Army command while in port. This was spelled out more clearly in the 1965 TV series. Ernie Kovacs was meant to have the lead with Lemmon as the ensign but Kovacs was unavailable at production time, so Lemmon was given the lead (he was considered too mature for the ensign role) and Ricky Nelson was cast as the ensign. The USS Echo was poorly maintained after returning to New Zealand, at one point serving as a bar, and was broken up for scrap in 2015.

Walt Disney Pictures

December 21 – Swiss Family Robinson

Cast: John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Sessue Hayakawa, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Cecil Parker, Andy Ho, Milton Reid, Larry Taylor
Director: John McKimson, Ken Annakin
Studio: Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
Trivia: The second feature film based on the 1812 novel by Johann David Wyss. The first widescreen Disney film shot with Panavision lenses. Prior widescreen films were matted or shot in CinemaScope. The film was shot on location on the island of Tobago for a period of six months. The island had no wildlife so animals were brought in from around the world. After filming was completed, the locals asked Disney to leave the treehouse, minus its furnishings. In 1960 it was listed for sale for $9000 and became a popular tourist attraction. The structure was destroyed by Hurricane Flora in 1963. The tree, however, still remains though it has fallen into obscurity. The film premiered in New York City on December 10, 1960. It was the fourth highest grossing film of the year. A remake was announced in 2004 but production never began. It was revived in 2009 with the title The Robinsons, and set to star Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and their own children. A movie based on elements of Swiss Family Robinson was made with Will and Jaden Smith titled After Earth. More remakes were announced in 2011 and 2014.

1970

December 16 – Love Story

Cast: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, John Marley, Ray Milland, Russell Nype, Katharine Balfour, Sydney Walker, Robert Modica, Walker Daniels, Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Arthur Hiller
Studio: Paramount Pictures, Love Story Company, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Erich Segal wrote the screenplay and sold it to Paramount, and was asked to write a novelization to be released on Valentine’s Day to promote the film. It became a bestseller in advance of the film’s release. The film was followed by the sequel Oliver’s Story with O’Neal and Candice Bergen. Larry Peerce was the original director, replaced by Anthony Harvey who then dropped out and was replaced with Hiller. Beau Bridges, Michael York and Jon Voight all turned down the lead. Filming on location caused significant damage to the Harvard campus resulting in denial for most subsequent requests to film there. The vocal version of the film’s theme song performed by Andy Williams became a major hit. The film’s television debut on October 1, 1972 became the most watched film in television history with 27 million homes tuned it. It was surpassed in 1976 by Gone With the Wind. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and seven Golden Globes. It won five Globes (Best Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score) but only one Oscar for Original Score.

December 16 – Puzzle of a Downfall Child

Cast: Faye Dunaway, Barry Primus, Viveca Lindfors, Barry Morse, Roy Scheider, Ruth Jackson, John Heffernan, Sydney Walker, Clark Burckhalter, Shirley Rich, Emerick Bronson, Joe George, John Eames, Harry Lee, Jane Halleran, Susan Willis, Barbara Carrera, Sam Schacht
Director: Jerry Schatzberg
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trivia: This was Schatzberg’s first venture into filmmaking, primarily known as a fashion photographer and commercial director.

December 17 – Alex in Wonderland

Cast: Donald Sutherland, Ellen Burstyn, Paul Mazursky, Meg Mazursky, Glenna Sargent, Viola Spolin, Andre Philippe, Michael Lerner, Joan Delaney, Neil Burstyn, Leon Frederick, Federico Fellini, Jeanne Moreau
Director: Paul Mazursky
Studio: Coriander, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Trivia: The film appears to be inspired by the work of Fellini and Moreau, both of whom make cameo appearances, and Fellini’s 8½ in particular.

December 17 – Rio Lobo

Cast: John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O’Neill, Christopher Mitchum, Jack Elam, Victor French, Susana Dosamantes, Sherry Lansing, David Huddleston, Mike Henry, Bill Williams, Jim Davis, Robert Donner, Hank Worden, Peter Jason, Edward Faulkner, Chuck Courtney, George Plimpton, Dean Smith
Director: Howard Hawks
Studio: Batjac Productions, Cinema Center Films, Malabar, distributed by National General Pictures
Trivia: The last film directed by Hawks.

December 18 – El Topo

Cast: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Alfonso Arau, Agustín Isunza
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Studio: Producciones Panicas, distributed by ABKCO Films
Trivia: Following the release of the film, Jodorowsky claimed the rape scene was unsimulated, courting much controversy. In 2019, he addressed the comments saying the words were just a publicity stunt, not facts.

December 21 – I Love My Wife

Cast: Elliott Gould, Brenda Vaccaro, Angel Tompkins, Dabney Coleman, Leonard Stone, Joan Tompkins, Helen Westcott, Ivor Francis, Joanna Cameron, Veleka Gray, Damian London, Tom Toner, Gloria Manon, Dawn Lyn, Heather North, Janice Pennington, Robert Kaufman
Director: Mel Stuart
Studio: Wolper Pictures Ltd., distributed by Universal Pictures
Trivia: The film’s working title was Three Women. Elliott Gould turned down McCabe and Mrs. Miller to make this film. Angel Tompkins received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Newcomer – Female.

December 21 – The Railway Children

Cast: Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren, Dinah Sheridan, Bernard Cribbins, William Mervyn, Iain Cuthbertson, Peter Bromilow, Ann Lancaster, Gordon Whiting, Beatrix Mackey, Deddie Davies, David Lodge, Christopher Witty, Brenda Cowling, Paddy Ward, Erik Chitty, Sally James
Director: Lionel Jeffries
Studio: EMI Elstree, distributed by MGM-EMI (UK), Universal Pictures (USA)
Trivia: Based on the 1906 novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. This marked Jeffries’ directorial debut. Sally Thomsett was 20-years-old when she was cast as the 11-year-old Phyllis. Her contract forbade her to reveal her age. Jenny Agutter, who played her older sister, was only 17-years-old. The film was the ninth most popular film at the British box office in 1971. The film received three BAFTA nominations.

1980

December 17 – Any Which Way You Can

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Ruth Gordon, William Smith, Barry Corbin, Harry Guardino, Michael Cavanaugh, James Gammon, John Quade, Al Ruscio, Jack Murdock, George Murdock, Dick Durock, Camila Ashlend, Anne Ramsey, Logan Ramsey, Jim Stafford
Director: Buddy Van Horn
Studio: The Malpaso Company, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Sequel to 1978’s Every Which Way But Loose. Glen Campbell performed the title song which became a Top 10 hit on the country charts. As primates over the age of eight are fully developed and less docile, the orangutan who played Clyde in the original film was replaced with two younger orangutans.

December 17 – The Dogs of War

Cast: Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely, Hugh Millais, Paul Freeman, Jean-François Stévenin, JoBeth Williams, Maggie Scott, Robert Urquhart, Winston Ntshona, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Harlan Cary Poe, Ed O’Neill, Shane Rimmer, George Harris, David Schofield, Terence Rigby, Olu Jacobs, Alan Beckwith, Jim Broadbent
Director: John Irvin
Studio: United Artists
Trivia: Based upon the 1974 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Don Siegel was originally approached to direct but he hated the screenplay. Norman Jewison was set to produce and direct with a new script by Gary Devore, but he decided to just produce with Irvin hired to direct. The opening scene in Central America was filmed in Miami. Most of the film was shot in Belize.

December 18 – Nightkill

Cast: Jaclyn Smith, Robert Mitchum, James Franciscus, Mike Connors, Fritz Weaver, Sybil Danning, Tina Menard, Belinda Mayne, Angus Scrimm, Michael Anderson Jr., Melanie MacQueen
Director: Ted Post
Studio: Cine Artist Film
Trivia: The German-American thriller was released in the US as a television movie for NBC’s Movie of the Week on December 18, 1980.

20th Century Fox

December 19 – 9 to 5

Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabmey Coleman, Sterling Hayden, Elizabeth Wilson, Henry Jones, Lawrence Pressman, Marian Mercer, Ren Woods, Norma Donaldson, Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Ray Vitte.
Director: Colin Higgins
Studio: IPC Films, distributed by 20th Century Fox
Trivia: While Parton was already an established musician, the film launched her into the mainstream of popular culture. The film spawned a TV series that ran for five seasons (and starred Parton’s sister Rachel Dennison), and a Broadway musical that opened on April 30, 2009. The film was based on an idea by Fonda, who had recently formed her own production company, IPC Films. The film was originally intended to be a drama but Fonda felt it would come off as too preachy. Fonda wanted to work with Tomlin and the project was reconceived as a comedy. Parton used her long acrylic nails to simulate the sound of typing in her theme song for the movie. A sequel was being developed in the 1980s with Parton enthusiastic but Fonda and Higgins were not. Parton and Fonda announced another sequel was in the works in 2018 but on October 30, 2019 she announced it had been dropped.

December 19 – Atlantic City

Cast: Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon, Kate Reid, Robert Joy, Hollis McLaren, Michel Piccoli, Al Waxman, Sean Sullivan, Angus MacInnes, Moses Znaimer, Wallace Shawn, Harvey Atkin, Norma Dell’Agnese, Louis Del Grande, Cec Linder, Sean McCann, Robert Goulet
Director: Louis Malle
Studio: Selta Films, ICC, Cine-Neighbor, Famous Players Ltd., Canadian Film Development Corporation, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: The film opened in France on September 3, 1980. The film earned the ‘Big Five’ Oscar nominations: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay. Sarandon won the Canadia Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in a tie with John Cassavetes’ Gloria. The film has been added to the National Film Registry. Louis Malle was allotted a budget for a film with the stipulation that it must be completed before the end of 1979. Malle had no script but his then girlfriend Sarandon suggested a story by her friend John Guare. The three met for dinner in early 1979 and constructed a story set in Atlantic City. The film began shooting on October 31, 1979 and completed on December 30, just in time for the deadline.

December 19 – The Formula

Cast: Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud, G. D. Spradlin, Beatrice Straight, Richard Lynch, John van Dreelen, Robin Clarke, Ike Eisenmann, Marshall Thompson, Dieter Schidor, Werner Kreindl, Jan Niklas, Wolfgang Preiss, David Byrd, Ferdy Mayne, Alan North, Calvin Jung, Louis Basile, Gerry Murphy, Craig T. Nelson, Herb Voland
Director: John G. Avildsen
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, CIP Filmproduktion, distributed by United Artists (United States/Canada), Cinema International Corporation (International)
Trivia: Avldsen was bitter that the studio recut the film into a different version that ended up in theaters. Avildsen’s version was to feature little of Brando to maintain the mystery. At the first Golden Raspberry Awards, the film was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor (Brando) and Worst Screenplay. James Crabe’s cinematography was nominated for an Oscar.

December 19 – Inside Moves

Cast: John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid, Amy Wright, Tony Burton, Bill Henderson, Steve Kahan, Jack O’Leary, Bert Remsen, Harold Russell, Pepe Serna, Harold Sylvester, Arnold Williams, George Brenlin, Gerri Dean, William Frankfather
Director: Richard Donner
Studio: ITC Entertainment, distributed by Associated Film Distribution.
Trivia: Based on the book of the same name by Todd Walton. Donner states on the DVD commentary he accepted the director’s job on Inside Moves to take his mind off being fired from Superman II. Diana Scarwid received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Harold Russell returned to the screen 34 years after winning an Oscar for The Best Years of Our Lives.

December 19 – The Jazz Singer

Cast: Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier, Lucie Arnaz, Catlin Adams, Franklyn Ajaye, Paul Nicholas, Sully Boyar, Mike Kellin, James Booth
Director: Richard Fleischer
Studio: EMI Films, distributed by Associated Film Distribution
Trivia: This marked Diamond’s acting debut. Based on the 1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, and is the fourth adaptation. The film was originally set up at Paramount with Sidney J. Furie directing and Deborah Raffin as Diamond’s co-star. Critics panned the acting of Diamond and Olivier but praised Arnaz. The soundtrack album reached multi-platinum status. The idea for the film was born out of the success of Barbra Streisand’s remake of A Star is Born. It took a year to move forward as both Warner Bros. and United Artists claimed ownership of The Jazz Singer. MGM was set to produce the film in 1978 but was dropped as executives feared it was ‘too Jewish’. Diamond underwent back surgery in 1979 and was almost replaced with Barry Manilow. Jacqueline Bisset was approached for the female lead but asked for too much money. Original director Furie wanted Arnaz but she was on Broadway in They’re Playing Our Song so Raffin was cast instead. With Diamond struggling in his first acting role, the script underwent major rewrites that dramatically changed the role of Molly Bell, which resulted in Raffin’s exit and allowed Furie to hire Arnaz who talked to Raffin before taking the role. Furie was then fired on March 3 and replaced with Fleischer by the end of the month. Arnaz said when Diamond struggled and became irritated with his performance, Furie would have a scene rewritten, whereas Fleischer would calm him down and work with him on the scene. Arnaz received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, while Diamond earned both a Golden Globe and Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Best and Worst Actor. He and Olivier both ‘won’ their Razzies.

December 19 – The Mirror Crack’d

Cast: Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Geraldine Chaplin, Edward Fox, Charles Gray, Richard Pearson, Wendy Morgan, Margaret Courtenay, Marella Oppenheim, Maureen Bennett, Carolyn Pickles, Eric Dodson, Charles Lloyd-Pack, Thick Wilson, Pat Nye, Peter Woodthorpe, Norman Wooland, Richard Leech, Sam Kydd
Director: Guy Hamilton
Studio: EMI Films, GW Films, distributed by Columbia-Warner Distributors (UK), Associated Film Distribution (USA)
Trivia: Based on Agatha Christie’s 1920 Miss Marple novel The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. Pierce Brosnan has an uncredited role as an actor. Natalie Wood was originally cast in the role that was played by Taylor. Margaret Courtenay later appeared in the BBC TV adaptation The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. Warner Bros. announced a film version of The Mirror Crack’d in 1977 with Helen Hayes slated to star as Miss Marple. When rights to the story passed to John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, who had also produced Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Lansbury (who had a role in Death on the Nile) was cast as Marple but production was put on hold until she completed her Broadway run in Sweeney Todd. Hamilton was hired because he said he was not a fan of Agatha Christie’s novels, and described the script as ‘awfully funny’. Curtis was cast after being fired from the Broadway play I Ought To Be In Pictures. Taylor was originally cast in a smaller supporting role before taking over for Wood. It was Taylor’s first film in three years. Lansbury signed a three-picture deal suggesting two more Marple films were planned that never materialized.

December 19 – Raging Bull

Cast: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent, Charles Scorsese, Geraldine Smith, Candy Moore, Don Dunphy, McKenzie Westmore, Gene LeBell, Shay Duffin
Director: Martin Scorsese
Studio: United Artists
Trivia: The film premiered in New York on November 14, 1980. John Turturro has an uncredited role as Man at Webster Hall Table, and Scorsese’s voice can be heard as Barbizon stagehand. De Niro read the autobiography of Jake LaMotta while filming The Godfather II and brought it to Scorsese on the set of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Scorsese turned down the offer to direct several times, having no interest in a movie about a boxer. But after nearly dying of a drug overdose, Scorsese agreed to make the film to save his life and his career. After shooting some color 8mm film of De Niro boxing, it was noted the color of the boxing gloves was wrong for the period which gave Scorsese an excuse to shoot in black and white. An unknown Joe Pesci was cast after De Niro saw him in a TV movie called The Death Collector. Pesci then suggested Cathy Moriarty for the role of Vickie.

December 19 – Seems Like Old Times

Cast: Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Charles Grodin, Robert Guillaume, Yvonne Wilder, Harold Gould, George Grizzard, T. K. Carter, Judd Omen, Marc Alaimo, Chris Lemmon
Director: Jay Sandrich
Studio: Rastar, distributed by Columbia Pictures
Trivia: This is the only film Sandrich has directed. It was the second pairing of Hawn and Chase after Foul Play. Writer Neil Simon said he drew inspiration from the 1942 comedy The Talk of the Town with Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman.

1990

December 17 – Awakenings

Cast: Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner, John Heard, Penelope Ann Miller, Max von Sydow, Ruth Nelson, Alice Drummond, Judith Malina, Anne Meara, Richard Libertini, Keith Diamond, Peter Stormare, Bradley Whitford, Dexter Gordon
Director: Penny Marshall
Studio: Lasker/Parkes Productions, distributed by Columbia Pictures
Trivia: Based on Oliver Sacks’s 1973 memoir. The film opened in limited release on December 17 followed by a nationwide release on January 11, 1991. Vin Diesel appears uncredited as an orderly. Jazz musician Dexter Gordon has a cameo in the film. He died before the film’s release. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards – Best Actor (DeNiro), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. The film was shot on location at the working Kingsboro Psychiatric Center in Brooklyn, New York, with actual patients used as extras.

December 19 – Almost an Angel

Cast: Paul Hogan, Elias Koteas, Linda Kozlowski, Doreen Lang, Douglas Seale, Ruth Warshawsky, Parley Baer, David Alan Grier, Larry Miller
Director: John Cornell
Studio: Paramount Pictures

December 19 – Hamlet

Cast: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Dillane, Nathaniel Parker, Michael Maloney, Trevor Peacock, Pete Postlethwaite, Christopher Fairbank, John McEnery, Richard Warwick, Christien Anholt
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Studio: Nelson Entertainment, Icon Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. (North America), Carolco Pictures (International)
Trivia: Gibson and Close were cast to bring a younger audience to the Shakespearean material. Nelson Entertainment held the North American distribution rights to the film, licensing theatrical exhibition to Warner Bros. as a means of enticing Gibson to make Lethal Weapon 3. Also to appeal to younger audiences, it has been noted that the film’s editing follows a template set forth by action films with no shot lasting longer than six seconds. The film received two Oscar nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design.

December 19 – The Russia House

Cast: Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, Michael Kitchen, J. T. Walsh, Ken Russell, David Threlfall, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Mac McDonald, Nicholas Woodeson, Martin Clunes, Ian McNeice, Colin Stinton
Director: Fred Schepisi
Studio: Pathé Entertainment, distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Trivia: Based on John le Carré’s 1989 novel of the same name. The film was the second American motion picture shot on location in the Soviet Union before its dissolution in 1991. Michelle Pfeiffer received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama but lost to Kathy Bates for Misery.

December 20 – The Field

Cast: Richard Harris, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty, Brenda Fricker, John Hurt, Ruth McCabe, Tom Berenger, Jer O’Leary, Jenny Conroy, Joan Sheehy, Sean McGinley, Malachy McCourt, Frank McDonald, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Jim Sheridan
Studio: Granada Television, Noel Pearson, Sovereign Pictures, distributed by Avenue Pictures
Trivia: The film opened in Ireland on September 21, 1990 and the UK on February 22, 1991. Adapted from John B. Keane’s 1965 play of the same name. The screenplay underwent several revisions, mostly to accommodate changes in the cast, such as the character William Dee, an English resident, being replaced by a sympathetic Irish American portrayed by Tom Berenger.

December 21 – The Bonfire of the Vanities

Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Morgan Freeman, Kim Cattrall, Saul Rubinek, Alan King, John Hancock, Clifton James, Kevin Dunn, Donald Moffat, Norman Parker, Louis Giambalvo, Mary Alice, Kurt Fuller, Robert Stephens, Richard Libertini, Andre Gregory
Director: Brian De Palma
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Adapted from the best-selling 1987 novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The film was a box office bomb, earning $15 million against a $47 million budget. The turmoil surrounding production was detailed in the book The Devil’s Candy: The Bonfire of the Vanities Goes to Hollywood by Julie Salamon. F. Murray Abraham appears uncredited in the main role of D.A. Abe Weiss due to a contract dispute after he was denied above the title billing. Geraldo Rivera has an uncredited cameo, while George Plimpton appears in a credited cameo. Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson also has a small but pivotal role. The role of Peter Fallow was offered to both Jack Nicholson and John Cleese. When both turned it down, Warner Bros. forced De Palma to cast Willis. Under original director Mike Nichols, Steve Martin was the choice for Sherman McCoy, but the studio felt he was too old. Tom Wolfe wanted Chevy Chase, but the role went to Hanks. Walter Matthau was offered the role of Judge White but wanted a million dollars. The studio hired Alan Arkin for $150,000, then replaced him with Morgan Freeman, changing the character from Jewish to African-American to moderate criticism of the film’s racial politics. Edward James Olmos was also considered. De Palma wanted and tested Uma Thurman for the role of Maria Ruskin but Hanks felt she wasn’t right for the part and Melanie Griffith was cast. The shot featuring the Concorde landing at JFK at the one 30 second period the setting sun lines up with the runway was carefully calculated, and a bet was made that Second Unit Director Eric Schwab could make it an essential part of the film. The five-camera shot cost $80,000 and lasted 10 seconds in the film. The film was nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Actress (Griffith), Worst Supporting Actress (Cattrall), Worst Screenplay, Worst Director and Worst Picture.

December 21 – Kiki’s Delivery Service

Voice Cast (1990 English dub): Lisa Michelson, Kerrigan Mahan, Alexandra Kenworthy, Edie Mirman, Eddie Frierson, Greg Snegoff, Barbara Goodson, Wendee Lee, Lara Cody, Diane Michelle, Doug Stone, Steve Kramer, Carl Macek
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Studio: Studio Ghibli, distributed by Toei Company
Trivia: Adapted from the 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. The film was released in Japan on July 29, 1989. It was the first film released as part of a 15-year deal with Disney and Studio Ghibli. Disney redubbed the film in 1997 with actors including Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Janeane Garofalo, Matthew Lawrence, Brad Garrett, Debbie Reynolds, and Edie McClurg. That version premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 23, 1998 and was released on home video on September 1, 1998.

December 21 – Kindergarten Cop

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Christian and Joseph Cousins, Cathy Moriarty, Park Overall, Jayne Brook, Richard Portnow, Bob Nelson, Angela Bassett, Sarah Rose Karr, Miko Hughes, Ben Diskin, Adam Wylie, Odette Yustman
Director: Ivan Reitman
Studio: Imagine Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures
Trivia: Bill Murray was originally approached to play the role of Kimble, which went to Schwarzenegger. More than 2,000 children were auditioned for the roles of the students. Exterior scenes of Astoria Elementary School were filmed at John Jacob Astor Elementary School. Filming took place in June 1990, so may students and faculty were free to appear as extras. Interior school scenes were filmed at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Schwarzenegger’s contract demanded a suitable studio for daily workouts and weightlifting. A suitable studio was located but when an agreement could not be reached, Schwarzenegger threatened to pull out of the production. An Astoria business owner donated an unused commercial space that was deemed suitable and the shoot continued. A direct-to-video sequel with Dolph Lundgren was released in 2016.

December 21 – The Long Walk Home

Cast: Sissy Spacek, Whoopi Goldberg, Dwight Schultz, Ving Rhames, Dylan Baker, Erika Alexander, Lexi Randall, Richard Parnell Habersham, Jason Weaver, Crystal Robbins, Cherene Snow, Chelcie Ross, Dan Butler, Philip Sterling, Schuyler Fisk, Mary Steenburgen
Director: Richard Pearce
Studio: Miramax Films
Trivia: Based on a short film by the same name, produced by students at the University of Southern California in 1988. One of the buses used in the film is the bus ridden by Roas Parks when she refused to give up her seat. The bus was in poor condition when filming began, but it was given a partial re-paint and towed it by cables for scenes in the movie. It is now owned by the Henry Ford Museum where it’s on permanent display. Cinematographer John Bailey was to have made his directorial debut but was replaced by Pearce early into production.

2000

December 16 – Battle Royale

Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarō Yamamoto, Takeshi Kitano, Masanobu Andō, Kou Shibasaki, Chiaki Kuriyama, Takashi Tsukamoto, Sousuke Takaoka, Eri Ishikawa, Hitomi Hyuga
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Studio: Battle Royale Production Committee, distributed by Toei Company[
Trivia: Based on the 1999 novel by Koushun Takami. The controversial film was banned in several countries, and Toei refused to sell the film to any US distributor for over a decade due to concerns about potential controversy and lawsuits. Anchor Bay acquired the film in 2010 for a direct-to-video release. The film was the highest grossing film in Japan for its first six weeks of release. Director Fukasaku had started work on a sequel but died of prostate cancer in 2003 after shooting one scene. His son completed the film. 800 potential cast members were subjected to six months of physical training with just 42 eventually being cast. The film was converted to 3D for a 2010 re-release and was due to be released in the US in 2011, but the release was cancelled.

December 16 – Godzilla vs. Megaguirus

Cast: Misato Tanaka, Shōsuke Tanihara, Masatoh Eve, Yuriko Hoshi, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Kōichi Yamadera, Tsutomu Kitagawa, Minoru Watanabe
Director: Masaaki Tezuka
Studio: Toho
Trivia: The film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival before opening on December 16 in Japan. An English dub of the film was released directly to television in the US by Columbia TriStar. The 25th film in the Godzilla franchise (the 24th produced by Toho), and the second in the Millennium series. The film ignores all of the previous films in the franchise except the 1954 original.

December 22 – Before Night Falls

Cast: Javier Bardem, Olivier Martinez, Johnny Depp, Héctor Babenco, Andrea Di Stefano, Santiago Magill, John Ortiz, Manuel González, Francisco Gattorno, Marisol Padilla Sánchez, Michael Wincott, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Sean Penn, Najwa Nimri, Diego Luna
Director: Julian Schnabel
Studio: Grandview Pictures, distributed by Fine Line Features
Trivia: The film had its premieres at the Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2000, and the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2000. Based on the autobiography by Reinaldo Arenas and the 1990 documentary Havana by Jana Boková. Bardem earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Bardem spent a month-and-a-half in New York City with Arenas’ best friend Lazaro Gomez Carriles, taking two hours a day to learn how Arenas walked and talked.

20th Century Fox

December 22 – Cast Away

Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy, Chris Noth, Lari White, Vince Martin, Michael Forest, Jay Acovone
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Studio: ImageMovers, Playtone, distributed by 20th Century Fox (North America), DreamWorks Pictures (International)
Trivia: The film was shot between 1998 and 2000 with Hanks gaining 50 pounds during pre-production to make his transformation more dramatic. After a majority of the film was shot, production shut down for a year so Hanks could lose the weight and grow out his hair and beard. Production paused for another four months before the final return scenes were shot. During the first hiatus, Zemeckis used the same film crew to shoot What Lies Beneath. The island in the film was Monuriki, one of the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. Tom Hanks earned nominations for Best Actor from the Oscars, the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes.

December 22 – Dracula 2000

Cast: Gerard Butler, Justine Waddell, Jonny Lee Miller, Christopher Plummer, Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Esposito, Danny Masterson, Jeri Ryan, Lochlyn Munro, Sean Patrick Thomas, Omar Epps, Tony Munch, Shane West, Nathan Fillion, David J. Francis, Tom Kane
Director: Patrick Lussier
Studio: Dimension Films, Neo Art & Logic, distributed by Miramax Films
Trivia: Known internationally as Dracula 2001. Though not a financial success, two direct-to-video sequels written and directed by Lussier were produced. Though not credited, future Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson was one of three people who heavily rewrote the original screenplay.

December 22 – The Family Man

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, Don Cheadle, Makenzie Vega, Jake and Ryan Milkovich, Jeremy Piven, Lisa Thornhill, Saul Rubinek, Josef Sommer, Harve Presnell, Mary Beth Hurt, Francine York, Amber Valletta, Ken Leung, Kate Walsh, Gianni Russo, Tom McGowan, Joel McKinnon Miller, Robert Downey
Director: Brett Ratner
Studio: Beacon Pictures, Saturn Films, distributed by Universal Pictures

December 22 – Finding Forrester

Cast: Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, Busta Rhymes, April Grace
Director: Gus Van Sant
Studio: Columbia Pictures, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Trivia: Critics noted Connery’s character was similar to real life writer J.D. Salinger. Connery later admitted Salinger was his inspiration for the role. Bill Murray had originally been considered for the role. A TV series adaptation of the film was announced in November 2020 for NBC.

December 22 – The Gift

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Hilary Swank, Michael Jeter, Kim Dickens, Gary Cole, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons
Director: Sam Raimi
Studio: Lakeshore Entertainment, distributed by Paramount Classics
Trivia: The film was based on the alleged psychic experiences of Billy Bob Thornton’s mother.

December 22 – Miss Congeniality

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Mary Ashleigh Green, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, John DiResta, Candice Bergen, Heather Burns, Melissa De Sousa, Steve Monroe, Deirdre Quinn, Wendy Raquel Robinson
Director: Donald Petrie
Studio: Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment, Fortis Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: Bullock earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Some exterior establishing shots were filmed on location in New York City and San Antonio, but the majority of the film was shot in Austin, Texas. The sequel Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, was released on March 24, 2005.

2010

December 17 – How Do You Know

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson, Dean Norris, Kathryn Hahn, John Tormey, Yuki Matsuzaki, Andrew Wilson, Shelley Conn, Tony Shalhoub, Domenick Lombardozzi, Ron McLarty, Lenny Venito, Mark Linn-Baker, Molly Price
Director: James L. Brooks
Studio: Columbia Pictures, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Trivia: Premiered in Hollywood on December 13, 2010. This was Nicholson’s last feature film to date. The third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following Overnight Delivery and Monsters vs Aliens. The film’s budget was $120 million with $50 million of that going to the director and the four major stars. The film grossed $48.7 million. Nicholson’s role of George Madison was originally envisioned for Bill Murray.

December 17 – Rabbit Hole

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Patricia Kalember, Mike Doyle, Jon Tenney, Stephen Mailer, Giancarlo Esposito, Rob Campbell
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Studio: Blossom Films, OddLot Entertainment, distributed by Lionsgate
Trivia: The film premiered at TIFF on September 13, 2010. The film opened in limited release on December 17 and expanded nationwide on January 14, 2011. Adapted from the 2006 play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Kidman received Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. Kidman turned down a role in Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger for Rabbit Hole.

December 17 – TRON: Legacy

Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Jeffrey Nordling
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Sean Bailey Productions, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Trivia: The film opened first in Tokyo on November 30, 2010. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing but lost to Inception. Cillian Murphy has an uncredited cameo as the son of the character portrayed by David Warner in the original film. Tron creator Steven Lisberger cameos as a bartender at the End of the Line Club. Daft Punk, who scored the film, also cameo as disc jockey programs at the club. There was speculation that Pixar was interested in producing the sequel to Tron, and a team from the studio did help with some script rewrites. The writing team cited The Wizard of Oz as an inspiration. Olivia Wilde’s Quorra was inspired by Joan of Arc. Filming took place in Vancouver over 67 days. Scenes in the grid were shot natively in 3D while real world scenes were in 2D. 45 minutes of the film was vertically enhanced for IMAX. Crowd sound effects were recorded with the audience at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con presentation of the film. It took two years and ten companies to produce the film’s 1,565 visual effects. The younger version of Jeff Bridges’ Clu was entirely CGI. Intended to have been created some time after the events of the original film, the visual effects artists based his appearance on how Bridges looked in Against All Odds, which was released two years after Tron. With 134 dots on his face that would be used to capture his facial movements to create the CGI Clu, Bridges called the experience surreal and said it was like the first Tron, but for real.

December 17 – Yogi Bear

Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cavanagh, Anna Faris, T.J. Miller, Andrew Daly, Nate Corddry, Josh Robert Thompson
Director: Eric Brevig
Studio: De Line Pictures, Sunswept Entertainment, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Trivia: The film premiered in Hollywood on December 11, 2010. The film was shot on location at the Lake Whakamaru Reserve, Waikato, New Zealand because it was winter in the northern hemisphere and a wait for warmer weather would have put the film six months behind schedule. The Yogi Bear character was influenced by Art Carney’s Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners. Timberlake came into the project with a prepared Boo-Boo voice as he imitated various cartoon characters when he was learning to sing. The film was originally scheduled for release on June 25, 2010 but was pushed to December 17 to avoid competition with Grown Ups. A possible sequel was announced in 2012, but as of 2020 there has been no movement on the project.

December 22 – Country Strong

Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester, Marshall Chapman, Lari White, Jeremy Childs, Jim Lauderdale, Amanda Shires, Chris Scruggs
Director: Shana Feste
Studio: Maguire Pictures, distributed by Screen Gems
Trivia: The film had its premiere on November 8, 2010 in Nashville. McGraw and Hedlund worked together previously in 2004’s Friday Night Lights. The film’s working title was Love Don’t Let Me Down. Writer/Director Feste was working as a nanny for Tobey Maguire when she wrote the screenplay. He agreed to co-produce the film after she showed him her ‘work-in-progress’. Hedlund had to take guitar lessons. He could not play or sing before the film. Paltrow also took guitar lessons and sought advice from Robert Downey Jr. to help understand her character’s alcoholism. Feste said Paltrow’s character was based on Britney Spears. The film received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.

December 22 – Little Fockers

Cast: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Kevin Hart, Daisy Tahan, Colin Baiocchi, Thomas McCarthy, Harvey Keitel, Yul Vazquez, Olga Fonda, Rob Huebel, John Di Maggio, Jordan Peele, Deepak Chopra, Nick Kroll
Director: Paul Weitz
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures, Relativity Media, TriBeCa Productions, Everyman Pictures, distributed by Universal Pictures (North America), Paramount Pictures (International)
Trivia: Known as Meet the Parents: Little Fockers in the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia. Stiller and De Niro earned $20 million each for the film following the success of the first two in the series. The first film in the franchise not directed by Jay Roach, who produced, and the first to not be distributed by DreamWorks outside of the US. After Hoffman was announced to be returning for the film, the studio could not reach an agreement with him as production was moving forward. Finally coming to terms, Hoffman’s role was reduced and scenes had to be filmed and edited to fit his character into the movie after initial production had completed. The film was nominated for three Razzie Awards for Worst Supporting Actress (Alba and Streisand) and Worst Screenplay.

December 22 – Somewhere

Cast: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius, Michelle Monaghan, Kristina and Karissa Shannon
Director: Sofia Coppola
Studio: Pathé Distribution, Medusa Film, Tohokushinsha, American Zoetrope, distributed by Focus Features
Trivia: The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 11, 2010 where it received the Golden Lion for Best Picture. The film opened in the UK and Ireland on December 10. The film is said to be inspired by Coppola’s childhood but she’s denied it’s autobiographical. Federico Fellini’s Toby Dammit has also been noted as an influence. Benicio del Toro has a cameo in the film.

December 22 – True Grit

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Domhnall Gleeson, Bruce Green, Ed Lee Corbin, Roy Lee Jones, Paul Rae, Nicholas Sadler, Dakin Matthews, Elizabeth Marvel, Ruth Morris, Leon Russom, Jake Walker, Don Pirl, Jarlath Conroy
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Studio: Skydance Productions, Mike Zoss Productions, Scott Rudin Productions, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Trivia: Adapted from Charles Portis’ 1968 novel, which was first adapted for the screen in 1969. The film opened the 61st Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2011. Nominated for ten Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated for eight BAFTAs. Steinfeld won the role of Mattie out of 15,000 applicants.

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